I’m excited to start a new series today called The Stacks: Must Have Books of the Season. In this series, you’ll find reviews of some of my new favorite books, giveaways, & Christmas gift ideas for the book lover in your life!
With Christmas around the corner, there is no better book to dig into than Elyse Fitzpatrick’s new book, Found in Him: The Joy of the Incarnation and Our Union with Christ
Because whatever you think you know about the Christmas story or God putting on flesh, you probably haven’t grasped its full meaning. In her book, Elyse manages to untangle the theological richness of the incarnation in the plainest of terms, all with the goal to help you understand the daily joy, peace, and comfort that comes from the single truth of a baby being born in a manager.
In it she answers questions that often plague us as we encounter the mysterious mechanics of the Son becoming a man. Questions like:
- If Jesus was the covenant of grace, why did he need to be circumcised? (Luke 1:35)
- How could Jesus, who never ceased to be fully God, grow or “increase” in obedience as Scripture says? (Luke 2:52; Heb. 5:8)
- When Scripture says Jesus was “made perfect” through his sufferings, does it imply there was a time when he was imperfect? (Heb. 2:10)
- What does it mean when Scripture says Jesus “became sin” for us? (2 Cor. 5:21)
To help you understand all this, Elyse divides her book into two sections.
Part 1 deals with the miracle of the incarnation and his union with us.
Part 2 deals with the benefits of the incarnation and our union with him.
Here are some of the wonderful applications from both sections:
- Because of the incarnation, we are not alone. The Son volunteered to be like us by uniting with us in a common nature.
- Because of the incarnation, we have great hope. The Son became a new kind of human who is free of sin and formed a new kind of race. As this “new Adam,” he has crushed our foe, Satan.
- Because of the incarnation, we are united with God. The Son fulfilled the greatest longing of our soul when he became a man: to be united to him once again.
Beyond the story of the incarnation event, Elyse draws out other truths such as the significance of Jesus’ ascension as a part of his incarnational ministry.
As the Ascended King, Elyse writes: “He has so become one of with us that he has taken our flesh into the throne room of God, where it had never been before, and he has exalted our humble estate by bringing us along with him into the very presence of God.”
This Christmas, I will not only marvel at the truth of the incarnation, but I will also be overcome and humbled by it.
“He has been and will be forever found with us so that we may forever be found with him.”
Want to win a copy of Found in Him
In honor of Black Friday, Crossway is giving away 2 copies to 2 lucky Hive Resources readers! Enter below. (U.S. residents only, please). Contest ends Tuesday at midnight! is now closed. Winners are listed in the widget below! Congrats! You have 24 hours to email me your address until I pick another winner. info {at} hiveresources {dot} com. Thanks!
This post contains affiliate links. Additionally, I was given a copy of this book to review. To read more, click here. I’m linking up with Recommendation Saturday!
Love Elyce!
Beth, you’d love this book!
Love Elyse Fitzpatrick! Would love to win this!
Hi Katie – thanks for stopping by! I think you’ll enjoy it! It’s such a timely book as we enter in Christmas!
I have not read Elyse Fitzpatrick but will certainly look her up. Thanks for sharing this and look forward to more “The Stack”….I LOVE BOOKS!!!! I have a book review blog for children’s picture books as well as Christian non-fiction and classic fiction. So this delights me!
Linda – I’d love the address to your children’s book review site! ~Melissa
this is a hard one to answer. It is hard for me to wrap my brain around the incarnation, would love to read this book
Yes, me too, Angel! But Elyse does a fabulous job of explaining the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of the incarnation! I hope you’ll check it out. Thanks for stopping by!
The incarnation brings comfort to me, knowing that he was tempted in every way that I am and he knows what it’s like!
That is such a profound and glorious truth! In her book, Elyse speaks of the suffering that Jesus endured during the first part of his life before started his ministry. I never thought of it that way before.
The incarnation brings me comfort because Christ lived the perfect life that I cannot live. Praise Him!
Yes, Praise Him, indeed! Thanks for stopping by Ruth!
the incarnation brings me joy knowing that he is always with me.
Yes! He is still with us today as the risen one who eternally shares our nature! It is very comforting!
I am currently reading this book. This is a great giveaway!
I love her books and looking forward to read this one that I haven’t read. I would love to win this contest!
Thankful for Book Giveaway Contest!
‘Guerite (Marguerite Harrell)
Thanks so much for the opportunity to win this book. It looks like a wonderful read!
Would love a copy of this.
Christ’s incarnation gives me joy when I realize all that Christ gave up to become a man & take on my sin in order that I may live with Him eternally. I love Elyse & look forward to reading this book (even if I don’t win!)
This is my comfort:
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. – Hebrews 4:15
Blessings, Shelly
Have gained so much heart knowledge from other books by this author, deep truths of God that redeem my vision of who He really is and how he loves me.
I have joy when I think of the incarnation because it is the fullness of “God with us”!
I would love to read this!
Yay! Love this!
The incarnation brings me comfort because He lived the perfect and sinless life I could not. His righteousness is imputed to me-praise God! I love this truth!
Excited to learn more about this book!
This looks like a great book to read this month!
Thank you for this!
The incarnation gives me confidence that God understands what I am going through. He is mighty God who experienced human nature. Amazing.